Six Israelis and a Palestinian from east Jerusalem died in an attack on a bus in Jerusalem on Sunday morning.

Such attacks are the principle reason given by Israel for its reservations.

Under the terms of the roadmap, the Palestinians must "undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt, and restrain individuals and groups conducting or planning violent attacks on Israelis anywhere."

That means Hamas and the other militant groups.

But it will be a difficult task. Hamas have always said that they have no intention of handing over their weapons while Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza continue.

As the roadmap was published, and ever since then, Dr Rantissi's line has been clear.

"We will not surrender in front of the aggression of the Israelis. And we said many times that as long as there is occupation, there will be resistance," he insisted.

Dr Rantissi says politely that the Palestinian Authority is "proceeding in the wrong way".

Opinion in the streets is harsher. Many Hamas supporters, pointing to past failures, believe that the Palestinian Authority should not be talking to Israel at all in the current climate.

They fear they will be sold short on issues such as the return of refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

Gaza flashpoint

A number of houses were destroyed in Beit Hanoun

On Tuesday, Israeli forces withdrew from the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, five days after they took it over to stop Hamas firing rockets at Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, and at nearby Israeli towns.

The crude, home-made, devices rarely cause serious injury.

But they do spread fear, and the Israeli army has been under pressure to stop the attacks.

At least six Palestinians - four teenage boys, and two militants - were killed in the five-day long operation. One Israeli soldier was severely injured.

During the Israeli raid, Hamas militants have continued to launch rockets, and have issued defiant statements describing their actions.

Not only do they reject the route which the roadmap proposes to take, they do not even see the kind of Palestinian state it is supposed to lead to as a desirable final destination.